Berrettini: "I think my backhand is better than when I reached the semi-finals here in 2022"

Matteo Berrettini qualified for the second round of the Australian Open, beating Cameron Norrie 6-7, 6-4, 6-1, 6-3.

Even if he's not the favorite, or even the outsider in this tournament, the Italian knows he has what it takes to worry a good number of players.

Speaking at the press conference, he said: "I didn't know what to expect, as I hadn't won here for a long time, but I found a good energy and I'm satisfied with my performance.

My serve has always been my main weapon and lately it's been working well.

It helps me catch my breath to return, even if I still have to face break points.

I'm ready to play against Rune. We've never played each other in a Grand Slam, but he's a great player and it's going to be very tough.

I remember the two times I played him, I won the first set and then lost. I played well, but he was slightly better than me.

It's amazing how time flies. It's been three years since (his semi-final at the Australian Open in 2022).

In some aspects of my game, I'm better, but tennis is about moments and matches. It's all about confidence.

Right now, I feel good, I think if you look at the videos, you'll see that I wasn't playing better, but I was more focused because I was more used to playing big matches. My level is still high.

Today I played well, I think my backhand is better than when I reached the semi-finals, but there's still room for improvement.

I just need time to get more opportunities to play against the best in the world."